Community rallies for homeless college student living in a tent

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19-year-old Fred Barley biked 6 hours to register for classes at Gordon State College

Story highlights

Fred Barley biked six hours to register for classes

He was living in a tent on campus when officers found him and offered help

Supporters have raised nearly $173,000 for him

(CNN)Fred Barley was living in a tent with his belongings in two duffel bags and a box of cereal to ration over the next few weeks.

Responding to a trespassing call on July 9, campus police at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia, asked him to leave his makeshift home.

But the situation changed once the officers heard his story: The 19-year-old had biked more than six hours from Conyers, Georgia, to register for his second semester at Gordon State. The dorms didn't open until August, but Barley felt his college campus was the safest place to stay.

"I was shocked by how much support people will give .... Even people from across the country," Barley said.

In a video message posted on Barley's behalf, he promised to repay his supporters by keeping up his grades. He ends the video with a simple, sincere statement: "I love you all, and I want to make all of you guys proud."